Last night, poets Major Jackson and Rigoberto Gonzalzes read as part of the Writers at Newark series. As a faculty member, I was part of the organizing and you know how it is when you are on the committee, you worry, worry, worry. Silly me. These two were 100% professional and 200% talented. In short, they rocked the house and it was a challenging house to rock.
The audience included the MFA students, who, of course, were glad to be there. Also in attendance were some of my wonderful undergraduates who were under just the slightest bit of pressure, and (this was such a treat) 16 high school students from St. Benedict’s! Only truly gifted poets could give a reading that had everyone enthralled.
Yes, yes, yes I took pictures. And of course I wore new shoes. For Major and Rigoberto, I pulled out all the stops.